What's this?The overall score for a tested model is based on CR's results from more than 50 tests and evaluations. You can easily see how its overall score compares with the "Highest" and "Lowest" rated vehicles in its category. The overall score was revised in spring 2014 to better reflect the state of the art for today's cars and how drivers use them.

The sporty Q5 is one of the better compact luxury SUVs. It's almost as much fun to drive as a sports sedan, with a steady and composed but rather firm ride. Its punchy, turbocharged four-cylinder engine and eight-speed automatic racked up a commendable 21-mpg overall in our tests. Though the four-cylinder delivers plenty of performance, we far prefer the 3.0-liter, supercharged V6 upgrade. The cabin is plush and quiet, with very supportive seats, but rear-seat and cargo space are modest. A 3.0-liter V6 diesel and an SQ5 with a 354-hp turbo V6 are new; a hybrid is also available. Reliability of the 2.0T version has been average, and the V6 and diesel versions were above average.